28/05/2008 by Tony Attwood.

I wanted to invent a method of selling that would be more cost effective than anything else we had ever seen.

Good ideas last – but not for ever. Eventually times change and something new comes along.

The only problem is that the world is full of people who like to announce that they have found the next breakthrough – even when it is just a rehash of the same old ideas. So picking out the real “next great idea” is something of a problem.

I build my case for this being the moment of decisive change partly on the fact that this is the first major breakthrough I have announced for around 30 years.

Now I know that sounds as if I’ve been a bit cautious - taking it easy, not shouting it from the rooftops – just testing, doing the trials, and most important of all, measuring response rates.

But I’ve wanted to make sure that this new idea works so I set the targets quite high. I wanted a system that was more cost-effective than anything I had seen before. I also wanted a system that would allow me to interact with my customers and potential customers, understanding their perspectives on their job and on the products and services they bought in.

The solution I found is the “Targeted Newsgroup”. It is indeed the most cost effective form of advertising I have ever found and also the most informative, as it allows me to build up a relationship with both customers and potential customers so I can understand what people are thinking and what are looking for by way of products and services.

So far I have tested eleven targeted newsgroups and four blogs and the results have been astonishing. Products and services that simply can’t be sold through any other means sell here.

Welcome to the new world.

Tony Attwood

PS: Of course this doesn’t mean that I have tested Targeted Newsgroups to every industry, every group of consumers, every type of employee. But I have done enough to make me think this is the way forward. Do give me a call on 01536 399 000 and we’ll talk it through.

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01/05/2008 by Tony Attwood.

Every week schools send my office questions - and mostly they are pleas for help.

Below there is a list of questions - this list is just one day’s worth of question.

What we do is forward these questions on to subscribers to our news and information service - and lo and behold they send in the answers.

Here’s the questions - you might find one of them relates directly to a product or service you supply.  And even if you don’t you’ll appreciate that next week or the week after we could be dealing with something that is right up your street.

And if we are, I’ll tell you something very interesting and unexpected, right after this list.

1. I wonder if you can help me with a query.  We are an independent school and need to create a new admissions register.  We wonder if you have any information on where we might be able to buy one or if any of the other schools on your mailing circulation would be able to provide a prompt response.
2. Rats - any ideas from rural schools on safe ways to reduce the population??
3. Hand driers VS paper towels: Anybody looked into whether elec hand driers are more economical than paper towels?? We seem to use up LOADS of paper towels, and the Governors need to be convinced that this is not the way to go…..
4. Cleaning schedules: Do other schools use cleaning schedules for their cleaners to ensure that all areas in school are given a deep clean periodically?
5. What email system do the majority of schools use.  We are experiencing major problems at present with our email provider and wonder whether any schools use Google Mail.  If your school does use Google Mail what is your opinion of it?  What are the safety levels?
6. Can I ask how schools without a dedicated HR/Personnel function manage the ever increasing workload connected with Staff Recruitment/Retention, Staff Policies and Procedures and Employment Law etc especially from, though not exclusively so, a Support Staff perspective.  I seek guidance from an independent school viewpoint – do state schools generally have an HR Dept?
7. I would like to update our software to monitor school fund account and would like to ask other administrators which software they currently use and which they would recommend.
8. I would like to hear from anybody who has or is using the Tucasi School Cash Office and the Dinner Money Management software they are part of RM. I have seen a demo and it looks fantastic, but before I go ahead I would like to have some feedback on it. It would also be very helpful if anybody could recommend any other similar Dinner Money Management software they are aware of. I also would like to hear from any administrators who are or have used RM Integris web based MIS system. This is also something that I am looking into and recommendations would be much appreciated; especially if anyone can recommend a MIS that has a really good HR section. Obviously with the new workforce census coming into place the MIS would need to be compatible.

Now here is my “interesting point”.  All these questions came from school adminstrators who have subscribed to the School Admin News Service that we run.

School administrators, as you can see, are making all sorts of decisions day by day - but amazingly no one is mailing them with information or thoughts on this or any other topic.

If you feel your product or service ought to be considered by the administrators of the school, do give me a call.  We can mention it on this news service, or on an email to all schools, or on the weekly printed newsletter we send out, or as a leaflet in a shared mailing, or….

Interesting, don’t you think?  (Well I do).

Tony Attwood 01536 399 000

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17/04/2008 by Tony Attwood.

According to the IPA’s Bellwether Report, direct marketing is showing its biggest decline in eight years. 

Budgets for catalogues and direct mail dropped 6.3% in the last quarter. 

But this does not actually spell new disasters.  The biggest cut-backs, not surprisingly, are in the financial sector.   And as a result everyone - consumers and businesses - will be getting less mail.

Since the higher the volume of advertising the lower the response rates (something that is true in DM, TV, posters, radio, magazines and anything else you can think of) this must mean that for everyone left in the business, response rates will go up.

And that makes this exactly the right time to mail.

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10/04/2008 by Tony Attwood.

We know that 98% of emails are spam.  A couple of months back some of our machines got a virus which meant that when we did a google search instead of getting the full range of google listings we just got highly selected ones - mostly those with malware on them.    

Now it seems spammers are using emails that include a link that appears to point to a Google page, but instead directs users to a site that then tries to install malware on their computer.   The URL begins with www.google.com - so we tend not to look.  Apparently the same thing happens with MSN and Yahoo sites.  The only way to check seems to be to point the mouse at the URL and look at the long link behind it, and then avoid it.

But of course most of us don’t even check who we are sending our emails to - we just click reply, press the button…

In short, we’ve been trapped. 

Just thought you would like to know.  Normal chirpy happy service resumes shortly.  In the meanwhile you can stay up to date with the latest on direct marketing by joining our news group.  Just email Direct-mail-secrets-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

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